Popular Music Under Siege

Beginning in the 1980s, religious fundamentalists and some parents' groups have waged a persistent campaign to limit the variety of cultural messages available to American youth by attacking the content of some of the music industry's creative products. These attacks have taken numerous forms, including a call by the Parents' Music Resource Center (PMRC) for the labeling of recordings whose themes or imagery relate to sexuality, violence, drug or alcohol use, suicide or the "occult," and prosecutions of record companies and storeowners for producing or selling albums that contain controversial songs. After years of pressure from the PMRC and a series of Senate hearings in 1985, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) introduced, in 1990, a uniform labeling system using the logo, "Parental Advisory - Explicit Lyrics." The RIAA initiated this system without providing record companies with any standards, criteria or guidelines for determining what albums should be labeled. That decision is left completely up to the companies, which have chosen to label only selected rock and rap albums and not recordings of country music, opera or musical comedy that may also contain controversial material. Dissatisfied with the RIAA's labels, many would-be censors have demanded even more limits on the sale of music with controversial lyrics. As a result, legislators have introduced bills in more than 20 states in recent years that would require warning labels far more detailed than the RIAA's. Some proposed laws would go beyond mandatory labeling and actually ban the sale to minors of music deemed to be objectionable. Until 1992, none of this legislation had passed, although in 1991 a bill in Louisiana failed by only one vote. In 1992, however, the state of Washington passed a law that required storeowners to place "adults only" labels on recordings a judge had found to be "erotic"; the law also criminalized the sale of any labeled CD...

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

...Review Questions
1. What is popularmusic?
Popularmusic is any music since the mid-1800s that is popular with the preferences of anyone from a teen to a mid-aged adult.
2. What theme does pop music typically use in the lyrics? Describe one pop song that uses this theme. Why is this theme such a popular one?
Pop music typically uses the theme of love and relationships in the lyrics. One pop song that uses this theme is the song “Marry Me” by Jason Derulo. Some of the lyrics are “…And if I lost everything in my heart it means nothing 'Cause I have you, Girl, I have you. To get right down on bended knee nothing else would ever be better, better that day when I'll say, ‘Will you marry me?’…” This theme is a popular one, because people can relate to it both in good ways, and in bad ways.
3. What is disco? What are the characteristics of this music?
Disco is a style of music that developed around the 1970s. It mixed what some called “soaring” vocals with a beat that was good to dance to.
4. What was the British Invasion? Which famous group was a part of this movement? What impact did the group have on pop music?
The British Invasion was a time in the 1960s when several British bands and artists became popular and influential in America. The Beatles were a large part of...

...Feb 2, 2014
Draft
American PopularMusic (Minstrelsy)
I honestly without a doubt know what minstrelsy means, but I am taking a religion class this word just came up in the chapter I was reading. In my opinion, this chapter did disturb me by thinking how can people even reason the way they do, but what can I do this is the past and a lot of things have changed since then but not all the way. I have a little understanding what it could be. I think minstrelsy means it is an art or profession shows were a form of entertainment that features white performers in African American face. I came in to this with an open mind.
After, this chapter I am very disgust about the music format in itself a cultural phenomenon in that it has thrived throughout centuries as other music types have come and left. They were so racist beyond nonsense degree. I am proud to be in our current American PopularMusic because most of us all believe in equality. The word is spread all over the world. People listen to whatever; they feel like tuning into. However, there are times when a music singer, such as, a female is criticized about what she wears because she may have a little more curve to her body.
Therefore, I am glad that the award shows are promoting dress codes. Even so, that should apply to everyone so no one will judge one another. To correct myself people will judge no matter...

...﻿Is country musicpopular culture?
Before 1910, folk musicians came mostly from the Appalachian mountains (otherwise known as the Cumberland Mountains at the border between Kentucky and Tennessee), and they played traditional folk music, which was never published or acknowledged on a large scale. In 1910, John Lomax published “Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads”, and for two years after that he created the first known collection of these so-called “cowboy songs”. In 1916, Cecil Sharp began publishing hundreds of folk songs from the Appalachian Mountains. These two events sparked a growing interest in the music and its heritage. However, the first record was not made until 1922, when a Texan fiddler, Eck Robertson, created the first record of this “old-time” folk music.
In 1922, a Georgia based radio station broadcasted folk songs to its audience for the first time. A bit later on that year, a radio station in Texas launched the first ever “barn dance” show. Some people believed that Eck Robertson’s first ever record was the official founding of country music, but many others believe it was actually in 1933, when John Carson, a 55 year old fiddler from Georgia, recorded two “hillbilly” songs in Atlanta. In 1925, Carl Sprague became the first major musician to record country music and he was labelled the first “singing cowboy”. Later on that same year, Nashville’s first...

...Exploring PopularMusic
What is popularmusic? Popularmusic is defined as "any genre of music having wide appeal but usually only for a short time."(Popularmusic) My definition of popularmusic is music mostly by one hit wonders or well established artists appealing widely for a short time.
Popularmusic differs from other genres of music because with other genres of music they are constrained to that genre meaning that have to fit that group and really venture outside that box and still be called that genre. As for popularmusic, I believe it does just the opposite: it isn't constrained, it doesn't fit a model, it dares to be different, and it evokes all genres of music. One popularmusic genre is rock, rock music has gone though many changes in the recent years and has received countless backlash for those changes. I believe Richard Brookhiser said it best "Rock is a form of popular culture that aims downward instead of aiming up. Rather than aspiring, it despires" (Brookhiser, 385). I feel that Brookhiser said this because as that the century progresses and technology progresses we are no longer shocked. So popular rock artists try...

...Da Yuan
Instructor: Nicholaus Meyers
MUSC 100: Music Appreciation
11th November, 2012
The PopularMusic in Hong Kong
When talk about the popularmusic we know the 1960s was the golden age of world's popularmusic, and also the rock and roll. Hong Kong also followed the world’s step. The Hong Kong music was full of happy and freedom atmosphere since Hong Kong economic started to fly at that time. Young people began to contact the western trend. Radio became the main channel of music. The radio in English was priority, so did the foreign music.
The Riot of Band
In the early 60s, "Sing Tao Daily" and "Li’s Call" jointly organized Hong Kong Amateur Singing Contest. Because of the warm response, Band tide raised. After the Beatles visit Hong Kong in 1964, local band (group Band) wide spread more quickly. At this time the Diamond record company, also the Polygram’s predecessor, had more support for local band production and publication, mostly the young student’s band.
The young men at that time were honest and pure, combining band were not for money, so it formed a healthy competition era. The way they explored mostly by singing contest, party or radio reports, the famous bands were countless. They were cover foreign famous band's songs usually, but also have strong local color and added their own style. When the most famous...

...English Comp 1
4/21/12
Popular Culture in Rap Music
The history of rap music started in Africa with rhythmic beats using drums. From Africa to the Caribbean islands it came to America and started its influential change on American Music. The first rap song to take flight and make its mark on the up and coming rap culture was the Sugar Hill Gang in 1979. In 1986 rap music finally reached the top of the music charts and was show on MTV for the first time featuring Run-DMC. Continuing to change in the 90's in the east coast came the more harsh and raw of the rap music scene like Wu-Tang Clan and Notorious Big. As for rap music on the East coast rap music was mellower. When these rappers first started rapping the music videos were very simple, short, no half naked woman and the use of vulgar words was non-existent. In the 21st century there are rappers like 50 cent, Jay Z, and Snoop Dogg. Who in modern day rap music that has all changed and has shaped the new age of rap music influence on the way we look at woman, money, fancy cars, homes, the way people dress and a much flashier way of living.
Run DMC was responsible for the first decade of the sound and style of rap music. They're one of the most influential groups in forming when rap music is today. They have made many...

...Riane Lisnock
Ms. Hilton
ENC 1101
8 November 2012
Music Lyrics
When getting into the car, a parent typically follows the process of buckling in his or her child and then turning on the radio to the preferred station. Though this might seem like a harmless habit, one rarely ever stops to decipher the connotation of the popular songs being played. While an adult might mindlessly sing along to the Top 40, a listening child may easily grasp the immoral principles the songs distribute. Some people might declare that not all songs convey a bad message, but in reality, the mass majority of music is offensive in some manner. Not only do many of songs contain foul and abrupt language, but there are also several cases of misogyny and sexism. On top of that, sexual situations and innuendos, along with violence, are regularly sung or rapped about. Ultimately, lyrics of popularmusic are harmful to children’s development and explicit songs should no longer be permitted to broadcast publically.
When listening to the radio, it is not unusual to hear an expression or two that is found appalling by society. As a matter of fact, three songs placed on the Top 10 pop music chart contained what some consider the most offensive word in the English language; moreover, this offensive word can be easily located in all of their titles. These songs include “**** You” by Cee Lo Green, “****in’ Perfect” by...